Improved railway-joint



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Letters Patent- No. 74,037, dated February 4, 1868.

IMPROVED RAILWAY-JOINT,

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TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, LEWIS BEIIYMER, of Indianapolis, Marion county, Indiana, have invented a new and useful RailroadJoint; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to' the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification. I

My invention relates to a mode ofjoining railroad-rails which effectually prevents either vertical or lateral displacement of tho rail-ends, and avoids all sudden jars and concussions to the rolling-stock, and to the rail itself, from such displacements.

Figure 1 is a perspective viewof portions of two contiguous rails and their coupling, one rail being slightly withdrawn.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section in the'plane of the bolts;

Figure-3 is a transverse section in the plane of a bolt.

Figure 4 represents a modification of my device.

The most distinguishing feature of my invcntionis a coupling, A, preferably of steel, which may be from nine to twenty-four inches long, and have its top surface of corresponding form and elevation with that of the rails B B. The sides of this coupling-piece or block are vertical, or nearly so, and it expands at bottom into a base, 0, whose upper surface is flush with the soles of the rails, and serves to support the latter. Above this base the ends of'thc coupling have wedge-like excavations, to fit and receive the correspondingly wedge-formed extremities E of the rails. The opposing sides of each excavation have swells or protuberanccs, F, adapted to fit and occupy the waist G or concave portion of the rails. II is an oblong slot through the rail to receive a bolt, I, which, also traversing the coupling, serves to hold the latter to the rails, and yet, by its elongated form, permits such longitudinal play as is due to the expansion and contraction incident to thermomctric changes. The oblique position of the lines ofjunction of rails and coupling prevents any sudden jar, such as arises from the passage of the wheels from one to the other, and the swells F'prcvcnt the rising of either rails or coupling and preserve a flush bearing-surface. The bolts I may be secured by nuts J, or riveted. In fig. 4 a modification is shown, in which the coupling is made to consist of three pieces, and the rails are shouldered in so as to permit of more blunt or obtuse terminations of the coupling.

I claim herein as new, and of my invention The coupling A, with rc-entrant angular excavations D and swells F, which fit and embrace the wedgeformed ends and the hollow of the rail, the same being secured by bolts 1, which traverse said coupling andthe slots II in the rails, substantially as set forth.

In testimony of which invention, I hereunto set my hand.

LE WIS BE HYMER Witnesses:

Gno. H. KNIGHT, JAMES ILLAYMAN. 

